I’ve been running remix contests on FindRemix for more than a year so it’s time to share some useful tips with everyone. These are to help you out when entering our remix contests. If you follow up these points exactly you will enjoy the experience of remixing, and have a better chance at reaching higher positions in the contest itself.
Read and follow rules carefully
This may be obvious, but many people just don’t read the rules! And in that we find mashups, un-cleared samples, and other forbidden parts. Please, take the time to go over the rules. Any and all questions will be answered in there.
Usually all genres are not welcome
Our contests usually offer a release on the label as the main prize, so if you would like it to be released you should look out for the label’s genre(s). That doesn’t mean you can’t be original, just take a look at the label’s back catalog and see what are they releasing.
Don’t send work in progress
This phrase has been repeated tons of times. Just finish up your remix!
Support other participants
Our contests are supported by hundreds of producers from all over the world. So, It’s a nice to have a chance to meet people like you! Comment, send messages, communicate with one another in a positive and constructive way, and maybe you’ll find some nice colaboration agreements or new opportunities come about. So be social!
Rome was not built in a day
Ok, you just found about a great new great contest. You downloaded the parts, hopped on your DAW and quickly created a remix, all in one day! That’s amazing, but remember there is plenty of time to submit it. We usually run competitions with a duration of a month or more. Review your remix before submitting it… There’s always room for improvement.
Don’t copy the original mix
Be original, It’s boring listening to a remix that sounds about the same as every other song out there. Bring fresh new sounds to the table, and make it your own! Experiment with whatever you use and have at your fingertips.
Play the right key & tempo!
A track in the wrong key, wrong element, or a different tempo is automatically out. Take care of it!
Don’t worry too much about mastering
Focus on your track’s feeling, and create a great piece of music. If it sounds good and expresses something, be proud of it! Don’t forge something you don’t feel. Mastering can be done later, just create a good mix!
What do you think about these tips? Is there anything anybody would like to add?
Thanks to Ray Andrade for the corrections 
Great tips, thanks !!!
I have a question about “Play the right key & tempo!”
I’m using logic and i honestly don’t know how to retrieve a tracks’ key.
Don’t event know what a key is concretely.
At the moment, i’m playing note on my keyboard and try to find the one that seems like the original.
If anyone have a suggestion, i’ll take it
Cheers
Nricca just use your ears
lol ok, nice suggestion
thanks
nricca, there are programs like mixed in key which can be used to identify the key of a track 95% of the time correctly, but it’s probably to your benefit that you learn to find keys by ear. you can always double check it with the program.
hi thank u so much the tips usefull , i needed it best regards
electrik smoke
Play the right key & tempo!
A track in the wrong key, wrong element, or a different tempo is automatically out. Take care of it!
Why should i do the above mentioned? Don’t think that it will be a remix if you stay in the same tempo and key… Not a good tip of you guys!
hey Marc, you didn’t unterstand it correctly. I mean several elements in different tempo or wrong key in the remix, not making a remix in different key/tempo… obviously that doesn’t make any sense
For instance: track is 127bpm and accappela 100bpm
“Don’t spam others people tracks/pages with the comments like : ‘check out my latest remix or track ‘ . Believe me nobody gonna do it”
Preach. Everyone take notes! This is how soundcloud is being ruined right now. Think about how annoyed you’d be if you had people writing all over your tracks about their own tracks, which usually suck anyway. You’ll notice that whenever someone does this, their song is poorly produced and boring. DONT DO IT.
The last tip is the most important.
Very good tips.
I think it will be tough to improve on something this good. I’m in, but I think I’m gonna try something a little different.
Great tips for remixing…
I like remixing, you know… but it’ difficult to me make a remix using samples only (maybe ’cause I’m not a pro producer) … and the most remix competitions offers just samples…
Hi, Diego. Play the right key & tempo? That means that the remix and the original must have the same key and tempo?
Best regards.
alex
Hey Alex,
no, I mean play the right key & tempo, not the same key & tempo as the original. For example: vocal is 123BPM and percussion 125BPM… that’s wrong! It’s something totally basic actually.